154 - MERMOZ, Jean

MERMOZ, Jean L.A.S. “Ton Jean,” Buenos Aires, May 22, 1928, to his “Dearest Mom”; 2 pages in-4 and 2 pages in-8 on Compagnie Générale Aéropostale letterhead. Reconnaissance flight in Paraguay. He has just “spent about twenty days in Paraguay surveying the terrain for our new route” and was unable to write to his mother, whom he urges to take some time off: “Get some rest. Don’t overwork yourself. You know that a mother is the most precious thing in the world, and I want to have you with me always.” The letter mentions the purchase of a property... Then he discusses the future career of young Fernand Delty: “Let him take his classes, let him pass his exam, and he’ll be hired by the Company in a flash. […] I’m confident in him now, and I have no doubt that we’ll succeed in making him a real man. As soon as he passes his exam, he’ll leave for Toulouse, and once he’s honed his skills, I’ll make sure to bring him to America very quickly, where he’ll earn enough money to save some and help his parents. He mustn’t lose heart. He needs the determination to succeed. I admit that I’m not often on the ground and that certain realities of life escape me to the point where I forget—sometimes momentarily—that I have concerns other than aviation. In any case, he knows he can count on me completely. […] Above all, he should focus on working on the 450- to 500-horsepower Renault engines. He’ll have time to gain more experience later on. Of course, if he could do that right now—for example, in the automotive industry—that would be even better. If only he could get a job at a garage. It’s really hard to find work in France these days”… He’s hopeful he’ll see his mother again within two years. “Something’s taking shape for me right now—and at the Company itself, I think. I’m really looking forward to it. […] In the meantime, I’m clocking fifteen to twenty thousand kilometers a month without fail. As for aviation, since March 1, our flight service has been running smoothly—two days from here to Natal and two days from Dakar to France. But those ‘messengers of doom’ that the French government praises take eight to ten days to make the crossing—if not longer—and lead laypeople to believe that nothing is working. Anyway, before long, we’ll be doing everything by plane, and I assure you that you’ll no longer have to complain about delayed letters.” A Brazilian woman gave him “a wolfdog that had won a prize at a competition in Rio de Janeiro, on the occasion of a same-day trip from Rio to Buenos Aires—2,500 km in 13 hours—with two Brazilian journalists on board! This was the first time the Rio–Buenos Aires route had been completed in a single day, and it caused quite a stir in Brazil. […] Our menagerie is growing, with a little caiman that I’ll have soon!”… Correspondence, No. 139. Provenance: - Jean Mermoz (1901–1936); - Gabrielle Gillet-Mermoz (1880–1955); - Then passed down through the family